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As humans, we’re naturally quite skeptical and the ability to ignore flaws and things that are different is an acquired one rather than something that’s innate. It could be argued that it’s only social convention that stops us meeting somebody and saying: “you have a large spot on your nose”.

Talking to somebody who has a slightly strange accent means that although they’re perfectly linguistically understandable, we often won’t really concentrate on what they’re saying until we’ve pinpointed the accent. The idiom is often “the elephant in the room”.

The problem is often quite exacerbated when the flaw is part of something that’s otherwise rather beautiful and pleasant to look at. An Oriental rug will generally have symmetry and well-defined patterns which if damaged suddenly gain an undesirable focal point.

Any kind of damage to the material of an Oriental rug requires immediate attention to prevent it becoming worse. The structural integrity of a rug depends on the materials become sound, much like a window. You can’t break part of a pane of glass, the pane is either broken or intact.

Another issue that may be less noticeable is discolouration or colours running which if caught early enough can be restored.

A regular look at your rug is most certainly worth doing to prevent every houseguest remembering the worn section of your rug rather than the rest of the rug which remained rather amazing. They’re only human.

The word ‘personality’ is often and quite rightly associated with sentient human beings followed closely by domesticated pets, but could it be said that furniture has a personality of sorts?

In the usual sense, an inanimate object cannot have a personality, but what it can have is the ability to evoke an emotion whether that be through beauty, history or otherwise. For something inanimate to have such an effect on somebody, it perhaps holds a reflection of the creator’s personality.

Looking at a Persian or Oriental rug, your eye immediately recognises it’s a fabric piece but just knowing a brief history about the rug can make it a whole lot more interesting. The knots in the rugs are often created by hand, can you imagine the feelings of the person beginning this almighty task knowing there’s a long way ahead before the rug starts looking anything like a rug. Can you also imagine the pride, delight and passion the same person has when the rug is nearing completion?

To you, the rug is a beautiful addition to your home, to the creator, it’s the product of many days work to put food on the family table. It represents economic independence, it represents the skills that have been passed down through generations over a thousand years. It’s certainly more than just fabric when you know even the smallest thing.

From another angle, how does the rug make you feel when you have time to appreciate it? Does the carefully woven material offer some comfort underfoot at the end of a long day at work; do the vibrant colours offer a welcome change of scenery in stark contrast to the computer screen you’ve been in front of all day?

To conclude, it’s not important to debate the question of personality but rather more important to know that it invokes an emotion within you.

It should be no surprise that many celebrities and other public figures, including the odd fictional character, are united by a love of the beautiful carpets of ancient Persia and modern day Iran, as well as similar creations from Turkey and the orient.

Everyone’s heard of Kanye West’s travails when trying to render his home ‘real Kingish’ in 2010 – they gave rise to one of the most chuckled-over tweets of the decade: “I specifically ordered Persian rugs with cherub imagery!!! What do I have to do to get a simple Persian rug with cherub imagery uuuuugh.” Actually we can sympathise – authentic Persian carpets come in over four thousand different types, illustrating abundant themes including religion and love, while modern versions take in a cosmopolitan range of subjects. Cherubs don’t seem that much to ask.

Ben Affleck faced a different challenge when he picked up a £1,600 antique rug in Istanbul while filming Argo in 2012. The star was seduced by the beautiful piece while browsing at a bazaar, but when he got it home, wife Jennifer Garner pointed out the area rug for the living room had already been ordered, so it ended up as a bath mat. Not the best way to care for a valuable artwork, but they are made to be walked on.

The most famous Persian rug in cinema (and a feature of one of our earlier posts), of course, belongs to the character played by Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski, whose beloved possession suffers an even worse indignity before leading him into a morass of mistaken identity and extortion.

While all three undoubtedly love their oriental rugs, there are also some well-known figures better described as connoisseurs. The private collection of Sigmund Freud was one of the finest in Europe, and the pieces adorning his consulting room included a Persian Qashqai draped on the patient’s couch. You can still see his treasures at the Freud Museum in London.

Other famous serious collectors include iconic bond girl Ursula Andress, who told Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine of her passion, and Henry Kissinger, whose hobby is documented in Kissinger: A Biography by Walter Isaacson.

On the big screen – Oriental and Persian rugs making an appearance in films

If you were asked to think of a beautiful Oriental or Persian rug in a film, your mind would probably go straight to Disney’s Aladdin and his magic carpet. There through thick and thin, the street urchin Aladdin has a change of luck when he meets the enchanted carpet once trapped in the Cave of Wonders.

Aladdin’s magic carpet is not only beautiful, in a striking regal purple shade with highlights of gold and claret, but a real character in this Disney classic without even saying a single word throughout the entire film! The carpet communicates with his new friends by contorting itself and moving it’s tasselled corners. Did you also know that part of the design on this magic Persian rug is the tiger’s head that creates the opening to the Cave of Wonders?

Whilst Aladdin’s magic carpet gets him out of trouble on numerous occasions, another famous rug from the silver screen gets the film’s protagonist in all sorts of sticky situations. “The Dude” Lebowski from The Big Lebowski is left seeking payback after two thugs who mistake him for a millionaire ruin his precious Persian rug when he can’t pay them. Understandably The Dude is not happy that his ornate Persian rug has been wrecked so he sets out with his bowling buddies to get a replacement rug from the cause of the mistaken identity, the wealthy Mr Lebowski. One things leads to another and what starts as a quest for a replacement Persian rug soon turns into a catalogue of disasters for The Dude.

Despite very different story lines in both of these classic films, Aladdin and The Big Lebowski focus on the gorgeous Persian rugs that take centre stage in spite of the fact they’re inanimate objects, and the stunning rugs become a huge part of these great films.

Either consciously or otherwise we’re all aware of the effect colours can have on our perceptions and emotions. Interior designers spend a lot of time working with colours to ensure the most appropriate combinations come together in one room to achieve the desired effect. The combinations of furniture types, materials and colours all play a significant role.

Oriental and Persian rugs are often varied in their colour but a number of core colours tend to make an appearance in many fine samples.

Red

Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival.

Red is a very strong, powerful colour and has the interesting property of appearing nearer to the viewer than it actually is, making it an attention grabber. When your rug needs to be the centrepiece, red is an excellent colour choice.

It’s a stimulating colour with the distinct ability of increasing our heart rate and creating an exciting environment whilst also being cosy and promoting a feeling of warmth.

Red is a common feature in many oriental and Persian rugs and contrasts well with other subtle colours and dark woods.

Blue

Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity.

Blue is a soothing colour with stronger shades stimulating clear thought and softer blues encouraging a calm mind and concentration.

Shades of blue in the room will create a sense of serenity and wellbeing and when a calm environment is preferred, blue is the colour of choice.

Blue features in many oriental and Persian rugs and is ideal when your rug can be understated and doesn’t need to be the centre of attention. It works well alongside lighter woods and lighter furnishings.

Brown

Seriousness, warmth, Nature, earthiness, reliability, support

Brown consists of combination of red, yellow and black. Consequently, it has much of the same seriousness as black, but is warmer and softer.

Although brown takes on some of the properties of red, it’s a solid and reliable colour and it’s perceived as a supporting colour which gives people a sense of nature and earthliness.

Yellow

Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength

Yellow is considered by some to be the strongest colour emotionally and can lift spirits and boost self-esteem. It’s a colour of confidence and optimism. But all of this needs to be balanced as too much yellow can have a negative effect giving rise to anxiety.

As a very emotional colour, yellow can be used sparingly and is often found alongside red in an oriental or Persian rug.